Explosive.



*omrnn srxrns rarnnr car ca- 'WINFIELD s. PIERCE, or SEATTLE,WASHINGTON, xssrcxoa TO UNION POWDER COMPMH, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, Acoaromrrox or WASHINGTON.

EXPLO SIVE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .Fune 30, 1908.

Application filed August 8, 1907. Serial No. 387,682.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WINFIELD S. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosives; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such will enable others skilled in the art to which it apertains to make and use the same.

l\ y invention relates to explosives.

It has for its object to produce an explosive adapted for both large andsmall firearms, and for blasting, and which can be used wherever al'1ighgrade explosive is desired;

which is notal'l'ected byatmospheric changes, acting as well manydegrees below zero as it will many degrees above, and as effectively ina wet atmosphere as in a dry atmosphere; which is practically smokelessand lessens the liability to explode by trituralicm, concussion or jar;will not deteriorate in storage either in open or sealed retz'iiners,and which will have other advantages hereinafter set forth.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing the invention consists in anexplosive having the features and characteristics hereinafter describedand then sought to be clearly defined by the claims.

In preparing the. explosive, l form a solution by mixing. say, canesugar. which is a carbohydrate, with sullici ui water for the purpose,in a suitable vessel, at. a temperature to bring it to the boilingpoint, and continue the heating until the solution has a SWCli'lCgravity of one and tour-tenths, or tlwreaboun the spccilic gravity beingtaken at a temperature ol say 200 1 ah. in this solution, the cane sugarmay be in the. proportion ol' thirty-nine (no; arts of the sugar tosullicicnt quantity ol' aterto produce the solution having the specificgravity mentinned under the temperature stated.

To the solution lirsl nn-niioned is added a caramel preparation such ashereinafter men- .lioncd in the proportion of say one and onehalf (it)parts of the preparation, or thereabouts, lo the proportion of canesugar mentioned for the first solution, said preparation being addedgradually to the first solution and the heat continued while the mixtureis stirred to eil'cct a thorough incorporation of the ingredients. Thepreparation added to the first solution is made by subjecting, say canesugar, say sixteen (16) ounces, 0: thereabout, in an open vessel to heatsuitably applied until the temperature is raised to about 404 F, andcontinuing the heat at that temperature until two (2) molecules, orabout two molecules, of wateris thrown off or evaporated. T his terms asolid cake consisting of combustible matter containing carbonic acid,acetic acid, and an empyreumatic oil producing elements, andapproximately twenty-five (25) per cent. of carbon which burns withoutresidue. After the desired proportion of said preparation has beenthoroughly incorporated with the first solution as previously mentioned,the mixture is removed and while still hotthere is 'radually added to itan alcoholic extract 0? alkanct and shellac, in quantity sufficient tochange the color of the mixture or compound from a dark brown to a darkor sage green. As soon as the change in color to a dark or sage greentakes place, about fifty-seven (57) parts of potassium chlorate is addedand thoroughly incorporated with the other ingredients comprising themixture or compound. The mixture is then cooled, and dried in anysuitable way, and by suitable triturating means is granulated in sizesdesired.

The alcoholic extract is made byrnixing say four (4) ounces of alkanetroot with sixty (60) grains of powdered shellac to which is applied sayone (l) quart of 188 proof grain alcohol in a suitable )ercolator andthus is formed a. solution oi shellac and the constil ucnts of a litanetsoluble. in alcohol but insoluble in water.

By the employment oi the caramel remration mentioned which ignites at a.iigner temperature than the oxy en of the oxygen yielding substance,whic is an alkaline chlorate, causes the carbo-hydrates of the cmnpoundto ignite, lhegases in the gun barrel are cimsumed, residue due toprecipitation of unconsumed matter is reduced to the minimum ornactically eliminated, recoil in the gun is reduced to the minimum,greater power of penetration given to the explosive, and the explosiverendered practically smokeless.

B employment of the alcoholic extract of arlranet and shellac a chemicalchange due to the weal: acid conmtion oi the extract is presumablyefiected, the exact nature of which however has not up to this time beendeterminable, and by it the granulation of the explosive is believed tobe facilitated and made more complete and permanency 'iven to it. Theextract also forms an insoluble protective coating against moisture andatmospheric influences or changes in the explosive. It also lessens theliability of explosion from trituration, concussion or jar, preventsaccumulation of heat while in storage bins, sacks or sealed packages,and other- Wise improves the explosive.

While I have stated the proportions preferred to be used and what areconsidered to be best for large or small guns yet the explosive isequally well adapt-ed for blasting purposes, as changes can be made inthe oxygen 5 yielding and carbo-hydrate ingredients as dictated by exerience in the art to adapt the explosive for b asting pur oses. Thiscan be done Without departing om the novel fea- I tures of the inventionset forth as under the l invention it is possible to compound the exlplosive in obedience to a sliding scale of l l I l l strength accordingto the lifting or penetrating ower desired.

aving described my invent-ion and set forth its merits, What I claimis:-

An X osive 'sin a1 Qiai' e 1 e l compri D i all in chlorate, am acarbo-hydrate, such as specified, caramel, shellac, and constituents ofalkanet, substantially as described.

2. An ex losive comprising an oxygenyielding an a carbonaceous substancesuch as specified; caramel, and an extract of alkanet insoluble inwater, substantially as described.

3. An ex losive comprising an oxygen yieldingen a carbonaceous substancesuch as s ecihed;caramel,shellacandconstituents of a kanct soluble inalcohol, substantially described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WINFIELD P anos. Witnesses GEO. PALMER. CHAS. S. HYER.

